SUMMERLAND REVIEW THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908
VOLUME
65
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ISSUE
WHAT’S INSIDE:
NO.
9
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S U M M E R L A N D,
Individuals, businesses and organizations were honoured at the 74th annual Summerland Business and Community Excellence Awards on Saturday.
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T H U R S D AY,
MARCH
1,
2012
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20
PA G E S
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$1.15
INCLUDING
HST
Tax hike recommended by John Arendt
Outstanding service
B.C.
WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
The municipality’s finance committee has recommended a tax increase and a number of cost-cutting measures. On Monday, council considered the five recommendations. The committee has recommended a tax increase of one per cent, effective January 2012, with additional revenues applied to capital reserves. Increasing taxes by one per cent will bring in an
additional $6,000. The committee also recommended council continue with an acting administrator and review the administrator’s role in January, 2013. Municipal treasurer Ken Ostraat has been assuming the administrator’s duties since the departure of Don DeGagne from the administrator’s position last month. Instead of waiting until January 2013 to review the position, council will
re-examine hiring for the position every three months. “It takes a considerable amount of time to find the right person,” said Coun. Peter Waterman. Coun. Lloyd Christopherson, Coun. Bruce Halquist and Coun. Martin Van Alphen opposed this resolution, preferring to stay with the finance committee’s recommendation to review the position next January. Another recommenda-
tion to implement a hiring freeze was also considered. The committee has recommended a complete hiring freeze, with any new position or rehiring approved by council. Several on council were concerned with the recommendation to bring all rehiring before council. Council passed a resolution to implement a hiring freeze for new positions, but not for rehiring to fill positions which become vacant.
Other recommendations from the committee include requiring funding for multi-use trail projects to come from grants and fundraising campaigns rather than using municipal funds and to contribute $10,000 to Community Futures for the Economic Gardening Project for 2012, provided contributions are also made by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen and surrounding municipalities.
Page 13-15 Road plans The municipality is planning some upgrades and improvements to a portion of Prairie Valley Road.
Page 3 Censoring books Efforts continue to have certain books taken off the shelves at the library.
Page 8 Skating concert Summerland Skating Club members showed their skills at a concert on Sunday afternoon.
Page 10 Basketball provincials The Summerland Secondary School senior girls Rockets basketball team earned a spot at the provincials.
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YOUR SMILE Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
Picketing
John Arendt Summerland Review
Teachers held a demonstration on Rosedale Avenue in front of Summerland Secondary School on Monday afternoon. Teachers in the school district are frustrated at the lack of progress in an ongoing dispute between the province and the 41,000 B.C. teachers.
Eight names on chamber ballot by John Arendt There will be some new faces on the Summerland Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism board for the coming year. Three current board members and five new members will be on the ballot for the five vacant positions.
Current board members who are running for a second term are Thor Clausen, Bruce Charneski and John Lathey. New members are Maged Said, Brett DeWitt, Darin Fair, Jason Embree and Andre Roman. The positions are for two-year terms. Two other board members, Arlene Fenrich and Connie Denesiuk are
continuing their terms and are not up for reelection. Lisa Jaager, manager of the chamber, said the interest in the board is an improvement from recent years when it was sometimes difficult to find enough people to fill the vacant seats. “It’s exciting to see there are so many people
interested in the work SCEDT does,” she said. The chamber will hold an all-candidates’ forum on Tuesday, Lisa March 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Jaager the chamber board room at the Visitor
Information Centre, 15600 Hwy. 97. The election will be held at the chamber’s annual general meeting. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 13 at the Summerland Seniors’ Drop-in Centre, 9710 Brown St. A reception will be held at 5 p.m. with the meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m.